Link-mesh-cutting machine



' Mar. 6, 1923.

O. SODERSTROM LINK MEH CUTTING MACHINE 2 sheets-sheet 1 .Filed July 11, 1921 Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

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To dZZwZwmit /nay concern: l i

Be it known that I, OSCAR SoDEnsrRoM, residing at Plainvi11e,;in the county of N01: folk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'n Link-iiiesh-Gutting Machines; and I '1 co hereby declare the following to bee "full, clear, and exectdescription ofthie sinven tion, such as will enable others-skilledgin' the art to which iteppertains to make and use the same. J A

This invention relates to machines for cutting link mesh and pairticulerly to *niachines for cutting mesh in'suc'h e'way as td provide pieces or strips of zittrective designs :Eor use in making purses, or for'use as afringe for a purse, or as a necklace, or a similar use.

A: machine constructed in accordance with the invention includes a support for the mesh to be operated upon, arranged for movmg the piece of .mesh continuously or intermittently so as to present surfaceson the piece of mesh successivelytoa, "cutting tool which is operated periodically to advance it finto coziction with the mesh to becut. In cuttinge piece of mesh it is o'fthe utmost impo rtance thetlinks which are not cut and which are to remain in the piece of mesh to be used should not be subjected to strain.

This is particularly true of the very mesh now solergely used5the rings iii which are made from wire ofso siiiell diameter thit they are very frail and may be brokenior distorted if subjected to strain. This msikes itxof the utmost 'importe-nceto insure :thzit the reciprocating tool employed forcutting the mesh shall contact-with only those rings ofthe piece of mesh which ere tonbe cut and removed from the piece. ,In order'toaccoinplislithis, the machine of thepre'sent iriven: tionincludes en eligning device associated with the reciprocating cutting tool. and adapted to. be moved into contace'withiflie mesh in advzince of the mun tool. This aligning devic'efis providediwith at surface formed for coection with the mesh sothat when it is moved into contact with thelmes h it positions the latter withfgreet accuracy sethatthe advance movement of the cutting tool will carry it into'engegement with the rings that are to be cut but no others. r

The cutting tools employed inthe'niachin'e may have cutting feces of various shapes s0- as to produce pieceso-f mesh of fanciful design acleipted forap'ztrticulaiupurpose such ass fringe or a strip:fer a, necklace; Thus the cutting :tdol. may have a cutting face in the shape of a diamond for producirig open ings of diamond shape 1n piece o-fv-mesh. After each cutting operetionlof this *tool and while the tool'is being Withdrawn, the support for the piece of. mesh would 'beop era ted tomdve the mesh along it predetera mined amountrso that the cutting operations wbu'ldbe performed in the .pe'riodslo'f test of the step, bystep movement fthe mesh. This would produce it piece'of mesh lieving diamond shaped 'op'enings'zin it at regular intervals throughout its .leng th. Such a diamond sheped tool f'might have elongated cutting edges extending in alignment from opposite corners oi'nthe diamonds If such e'tool were-used and the step bystep movement of the mesh werebf-thepreper length; a strip of meshlwvhu1tl,;be cut dfi by' the successive operations of the-cutting tool, and this strip would heveindentetionsinits ediz e at regular intervals throughout its length. In this my at thinrstrip of h; decorative epp'ezi'ranc'e my. be producdsuita'ble for use, foiex aimpl'eyzis a necklace or as h fringe 'foi emesh bag. it v,

The "preferred embodiment of the invention ;is illustrated .in the accompanying drawings in whichsFigure 1* isain. elevation of the mzicliinei; Figure .2 is s; view along the line 2-*2-'of Figure 1'; Figures?) and5 are views 0f pieces of iiiesh with putli'nesiof cutting tdolsxtherecn to illustrate the open etion" of; the' inachine; and Figures 4 end 6 Kare views ofhtlieqends of .cutting tools which mejy be "employed in the operation of theimechine. p V g t i Referringtothese :7 indiciites asuppoitl on whichthe parts of the machine are mounted; This support is provided with bezfirings'foi e shaft 8' driven :from anysuits ilble soufceoflpower'by ex pullev 9. Beveled gears- 10 cennectthis" shaft with a" verticzil shaft 11 also. mounted :in beeriiigs on the support 7. Qnthis shaft. 11" ere' twe eccentries 12 provided'vvithi ecteiitric straps 13 end 14. The strep-1'3;i s;coniiectedwto 31 reciproceltin g-slide 15 which-is moveble hori zinta-lly in whys I6 ;.s ec'ured en the support 7. I This slideFcerriesjsj pawl 17 pressed bye spring. 18 intb engag'meiit with the teeth project through rings of the strip of mesh- Preferably these teeth are provided on the peripheries of two wheels 22 as indicated in Figure 2.. Adjacentto the roller 21 is asuppor-ting surface 23 over which the piece of mesh moves to the roller, and this support 23 is preferably provided with flanges at its lateral edgesto guide the piece of mesh accurately. i i

. The'eccentric strap 14 is connected to a reciprocating slide 24 which moves horizontally in guides 25 also secured to the support 7.. This slide is provided with openings adapted to receive one or more cutting tools 26, the bodies of which are inserted in the openings in the slide and are secured therein by set screws 27.

The reciprocating slide 24: also carries an aligning device 28, the surface of which is formed to coact with the surface presented by the mesh-to'be cut, so that when this aligning device moves into contact with the piece of mesh it will cause the mesh to assume a position which will insure engagementofthe cutting tools 26 with the rings which are tobe cut and eliminate the danger v of the tools engaging any of the rings which are to remain in thepiece. As shown in the drawings, this aligning device is in the form of a rectangular frame enclosing the slide 24 and is adapted to move horizontally relatively to the slide. It is held in position upon the block which constitutes theslide 2 1 by a sheet metal piece 29 which is secured to the block. A coiled spring 30 is seated in an opening in the slide block 24 and its outer. end bears against the inner side of the aligning'device 28. This spring operates to force the aligning device to the left in Figures 1 and 2, the extent of the movement in this direction being limited by the inwardly turned ends 31 of the piece from which the aligning device is made. As is indicated in Figures 1 and 2, the outerface of the aligning device 28 is providedwith depressions and, ridges corresponding 'accurately to the surface presented by a piece of mesh of the type beingoperated on. As shown in Figure 2, the face plate of the aligning device is provided with openings corresponding in size and shape to the projectingends of the cutting-tools 26.

Opposite the reciprocating slide 24'a-nd the aligning device28 is a vertically dis posed supporting plate 32 which supports 7 the piece-of mesh while the cutting tools are operating uponit. This plate is provided with lateral flanges which guide the piece of mesh and has openings through it to receive theends of the cutting tools.

Below the support 32 is a receptacle 33 to receive the mesh after it has been operated upon. Figure 3 shows a piece of mesh in the form of a long'narrow strip and the two tools which may be used in connection therewith. As shown in Fig. 4., each tool has a cylindrical body 26 adapted to be inserted in the opening in the reciprocating slide and on its end'an extension which is cfgenerally triangular shape, each of the three sides being slightly concave.

These twocutting tools are adapted to cooperate .with the mesh in, the manner inclicated by the dotted lines on the upper part of Figure 3, thereby cutting rings of the mesh, which, when removed, provide openings as indicated inthe lower part of Figure 3; 7

In the operation ofthe machine using tools of this character, the end of a long strip of mesh, would be laid over the support 23, the roller 21'and the vertical support 32 and the teeth 22 of roller 21 would be passed through rings of the mesh. Then on starting themachine in operation the reciprocating slide 15, pawl 17 and wheel 19 wouldoperate toturntheroller 21 step by step. Each step by step movement of the roller would advance the piece otmesh over.

thesuppo'rts 23 and 32 a predetermined amount, at the end of which the mesh would come to rest} Also the operation of the machine would cause reciprocation ofrthe slide .24 and v the parts carried thereby. These operations are so timed that the ad vance movement of the slide 24 would take place immediately after the step movement This advance movement of the slide would result first on contact of the. surface of the aligning device 28 with the mesh and the ridges and depressions presented by this surface would pass into the corresponding ridges and depressions inthe piece'of mesh so as to move the mesh, or certain of the rings thereof, such minute: amounts asmight be necessary to position the mesh with abof the piece otmesh had, been completed.

solute accuracy. When'the forward movement of the aligning device 28 is resisted byrreason of its contact with themesh on the support 32, the aligning device moves relativelyto' the block 24,-depressing the spring 30. In other words, the movement ofthe slide 3 1 continues and the ends of the cutting tools 26 areycarried through the throughout its length. It will be appreciated that by the selection of tools of the appropriateshape and by regulating the extent of thestep by step movement of the mesh, manydifferent fanciful effects can be produced in the mesh.

In Figure 6 is shown a cutter tool having a cutting edge in the form of a rectangle, though with slightly concaved sides as in Figure 4:, and with cutting edges extended from opposite corners. hen using this tool a rectangular hole is cut in the mesh as is indicated in Figure 5 and in addition slits are made extending in opposite directions from this hole. The length of the straight cutting edges of this tool and the magnitude of the movements of the mesh are such thatthe cuts made in successive reciprocations of the cutting tool intersect. In this way a strip of any desired width may be cut off from a piece of mesh having indentations in its edge at intervals throughout the length of the strip. Such a strip may be employed as a fringe for a mesh bag p or any similar purpose.

Figures 3 to 6 inclusive, indicate the wide range of fanciful effects whichmay be pro duced in the operation of the machine by the selection of cutting tools of the appropriate shape and by. regulating as desired the advance of the strip of mesh each step.

The machine is particularly adapted for use in connection with very fine mesh made from wire which possesses relatively little strength by reason of its small diameter. This results from the provision of an aligning device which positions the mesh at the points where the cuts are to be made with great accuracy. By reason of this provision, the danger of imposing a strain on the links other than those which are to be made from the piece, is eliminated.

I claim:

1. A machine for cutting link mesh, comprising the combination of a support for a piece of link mesh, means for moving the mesh over the support step by step, a reciprocating cutting tool for cutting rings of the mesh in the intervals of rest of the step-bystep movement, and means for guarding against injury to rings of the mesh adjacent to those which are to be cut.

2. A machine for cutting link mesh, comprising the combination of a cutting tool, a support for the mesh to be cut, means for advancing the mesh a predetermined amount into approximate position for cutting, means for thereafter alining and supporting the mesh so as to assure protection of the mesh, and means for moving the cutting tool into engagement with the mesh.

3. A machine for removing certain rings from link mesh without injury to other rings of the mesh, comprising a cutting tool, a support for the mesh to be cut, means for periodically moving the mesh step-b-y-step over the support operatively associated with means for safeguarding injury to the mesh and for cutting certain rings of the mesh during periods of rest of the step-by-step movement.

4. A machine for cutting link mesh, comprising the combination of a support, means for moving a piece of mesh over the surface of the support, a reciprocating cutting tool, an alining device provided with a surface corresponding in shape to the surface presented by the mesh, means for moving the alining device into contact with the mesh, and means for thereafter moving the cutting tool into engagement with the mesh.

5. A machine for cutting link mesh, comprising the combination of a support, means for moving the piece of mesh over the surface of the support, a reciprocating cutting tool, an alining device actuated by the out ting tool and provided with a surface formed to correspond with the surface presented by the mesh, a spring constituting a yielding support for the alining device for holding it normally in advance of the cutting edges of the cutting tool, and means for reciproeating the tool and the alining device carried thereby to carry them into engagement with the mesh.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OSCAR SODERSTROM. 

